“Beauty …. is the shadow of God on the universe.” ~ Gabriela Mistral, Chilean Poet, Desolacion (a poem) One of the advantages of living in Colorado is that I get to savor the most a-ma-zing sunrises and sunsets. We’ve lived here 13 1/2 years now, and I haven’t seen the same sunset twice. The colors are stunning: vivid oranges, startling …
The 2012 Oscar winner for animated short film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
httpv://youtu.be/Adzywe9xeIU My son, Josh, who is also a writer and an editor, shared this absolutely delightful video with me: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It’s 15 minutes long — but oh, those 15 minutes went by so quickly. Enjoy.
In Others’ Words: Whatcha’ Thinking?
“We become what we think about all day long.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist & poet I was a pretty fearful kid growing up. Sad to say, I dragged some of my fears right into adulthood. What made me change? My first child was born. I remember being at home with my baby boy and the lights went out. It …
In Others’ Words: Etiquette
“Etiquette — a fancy word for simple kindness.” ~ Elsa Maxwell, labeled the “Hostess with the Mostest” by the press in the mid-Twentieth century, columnist & author You hear the word “etiquette” and I bet you groan, thinking “rules, rules and more rules.” Should I offer my seat to the elderly woman who just got on the subway? How do …
In Others’ Words: Books
“Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” ~Charles Scribner, Jr., American publisher More than once I’ve confronted the question “What’s the best book you’ve ever read?” — or some derivative of that question. Usually, my response is something like, “How do you expect me to pick only one book?!” Last week, when …
In Others’ Words: Focus
“It is wise to direct your anger towards problems — not people; to focus your energies on answers — not excuses.” ~ William Ward, English missionary & author There came a time in my life when I had to face a harsh reality: I was an angry mommy. I had a lot of aspirations for myself as a mom — …
In Others’ Words: Color
“I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.” ~Sir Winston Churchill, British statesman Green is my all-time favorite color. Not any-old green — a vivid, forest green. My living room and dining room are both painted a lush green … and I have no plans to …
In Others’ Words: Conversations
“Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of a witness.” ~ Margaret Millar, American-Canadian mystery-suspense writer Do I ever come across like that out-of-proportion-mostly-a-mouth woman pictured above? Oh, how I hope not. Do I participate in conversations with friends and family? Or do I act like some sort of running off at the mouth comedian positioned front and …
In Others’ Words: Seeds
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist You ever have one of those days when you crawl into bed and think, “I didn’t accomplish anything today?” That’s because you’re thinking “harvest,” not “seed.” When you’re all about the harvest, you’re thinking way-too-far down the …
In Others’ Words: Memories
“Memories without dreams are anchors.” ~Dan Rockwell, aka “Leadership Freak” Memories are precious. My life is all the richer for the memories I’ve tucked away. But if all I have is memories — images of days gone by — those very things I treasure will weigh me down, dragging all my forward motion to a stop. I also need dreams-yet-to-come-true …